Getting that crop into the ground quickly, accurately and on time is crucial. Increasingly on today’s farms, innovative air seeders and drills can help us do just that. It’s all about air, and it’s also all about precision placement of seed and fertilizer, which is why this edition of Machinery Guide is all about air seeders.
horsch anderson planting systems ps 40-15 ps 60-15
Horsch Anderson offers the 60-ft. PS 60-15 and 40-ft. PS 40-15 air drills. Both drills have a 19-ft. transport width and a 16-ft. transport height. The five-section PS 60-15 has 48 openers versus 32 for the three-section PS 40-15. These “planting systems” can be used for more than planting, including strip tillage and applying soil-incorporated fertilizers.
Trash can be an issue with air drills, but Horsch Anderson says they’ve got the best throughput in the industry… period. Their 15-inch shank configuration over four ranks gives plenty of space for material to flow. Even in row-crop residue such as cornstalks, the seed and fertilizer are well placed.
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The walking tandem packing system provides ground-hugging ability to consistently pack rows over uneven terrain, and the heavy-duty construction is built for years of service.
www.horschanderson.com
salford 522 double disc air drill
Salford’s 522 Double Disc Air Drill aims to deliver a great stand through precise metering of seed and fertilizer at uniform depths. The Salford 522 parallel linkage row units provide from 85 to 500 lbs. of down pressure to match no-till, conservation-till and conventional-tilled soil.
With widths of 30 to 55 ft., the Salford 522 has a peg and brush meter that is very easy to calibrate. It handles all seeds and fertilizers without having to be changed from one material to the next. The 522 has two sets of twin hydraulic toolbars for a variety of residue management and fertilizing options. These hydraulically controlled toolbars act independently to adapt seeding and fertilizer options on the go.
The Salford 522 Air Drill is designed for tow-between, tow-behind and mounted-tank options, and the openers have an operating depth of 3.5 inches with .25 increment depth adjustments.
www.salfordmachine.com
John deere 1890 50- and 60-ft. 1890 no-till air drill
John Deere offers multiple choices in its air seeding lineup, including both hoe drills and drills with the single-disk opener. The John Deere 1890 has previously come in 30-, 40- and 42-ft. widths, but now is available in 50- and 60-ft. versions, letting you cover even more acres in no-till conditions. The 60-ft. 1890 will cover 40 per cent more ground than the 42-ft. with each pass.
The 1890 is designed to take heavy residue in stride. The opener system boasts two inches of float to allow the opener to follow the ground contour without extra down pressure. Combined with active hydraulic down pressure, this helps ensure accurate depth control.
The 1890 has seeding widths of 7.5 inches for grains, or wider spacing such as 10 inches or 15 inches for other crops, with the JD 1910 Commodity Air Cart as a good complement. For transport, the new 60-ft. 1890 No-Till Air Drill folds down to 16.1 feet.
www.deere.com
seed hawk air drills
Seed Hawk says its seeding system delivers precise seed and fertilizer placement for quick, uniform crop emergence. The Seed Hawk Air Drill is offered in widths from 20 to 84 ft. with openers placed at 10, 12 and 15 in.
Unique to the Seed Hawk are the separate seed and fertilizer knives for precise fertilizer and seed placement. According to the company, each opener assembly is made with two high-tensile 5/8 by 3.5-in.-deep steel side beams. Each unit operates independently by pivoting at the frame controlled by its own adjustable hydraulic cylinder. The result is superior seeding-depth accuracy that produces warmer soils, quick, uniform germination, even packing and consistent performance, regardless of environmental conditions.
The Seed Hawk is enhanced by its sectional control technology or SCT. This technology works in conjunction with GPS and auto steer to lift openers when seeded ground is encountered, shutting down the metering of seed and fertilizer, thereby reducing costs and producing more uniform fields.
www.seedhawk.com
morris c2 contour air drill
The C2 Contour Air Drill is the new offering from Morris Industries, and according to the company, the C2 Contour has a dynamic new shank design that significantly improves trash flow and makes opener adjustments easier.
The independent contour opener with true parallel linkage maintains a constant opener angle relative to the soil as well as constant opener depth in relation to the packer wheel. Morris says the single shank design has lower draft requirements than most double shoot air hoe drills. This requires less horsepower, which means a significant fuel savings.
The C2 Contour Air Drill comes in 41-, 47- and 51-ft. widths on the three-frame models, and 61-, 71-, 80- and 86-ft. widths for five-frame units. Transport widths range from 20.5 ft. on the smallest to 25 ft. on the largest model.
www.morris-industries.com
